WEDNESDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Mk 3:1-6) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

“Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?” (Mk 3:4)

FIRST READING - Heb 7:1-3, 15-17

A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Hebrews

Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High,

met Abraham as he returned from his defeat of the kings

and blessed him.

And Abraham apportioned to him a tenth of everything.

His name first means righteous king,

and he was also "king of Salem," that is, king of peace.

Without father, mother, or ancestry,

without beginning of days or end of life,

thus made to resemble the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.

It is even more obvious if another priest is raised up

after the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become so,

not by a law expressed in a commandment concerning physical descent

but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed.

For it is testified:

You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Mk 3:1-6

From the Gospel according to Mark

Jesus entered the synagogue.

There was a man there who had a withered hand.

They watched Jesus closely

to see if he would cure him on the sabbath

so that they might accuse him.

He said to the man with the withered hand,

“Come up here before us.”

Then he said to the Pharisees,

“Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil,

to save life rather than to destroy it?”

But they remained silent.

Looking around at them with anger

and grieved at their hardness of heart,

Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.”

He stretched it out and his hand was restored.

The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel

with the Herodians against him to put him to death.

WEDNESDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Mk 3:1-6)

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear People of God,

In today's Word of God, God continues to teach humankind how to keep the law. God's law is to help humanity escape death and escape the captivity of Satan. God is the master of time, He is the master of all circumstances of human life on this earth.

God is a God of love. He always brings happiness to humankind. As the Word of God in today's Gospel, God reveals to everyone that when Jesus was teaching in the synagogue, a man with a withered hand came to Jesus and asked to be healed on the Sabbath.

The Sabbath is God's day, the day of love. God gives life to mankind. He always puts love for humanity above all things. Nothing can hinder God's love.

The power of God healing the man with a withered hand made those who opposed Jesus upset because He healed on the Sabbath.

The image of those in the Temple waiting to accuse Jesus shows that Satan is looking for ways to oppose Jesus, and is looking for ways to prevent God's love from being shown to humanity.

In today's world, God's love continues to be bestowed upon humanity through the chosen people God calls into His work, to continue carrying out the mission of bringing God's love and salvation to humanity.

These people are instruments for God to use, however, they cannot escape the persecution and spying from those who oppose Him. But love always conquers death, hatred, jealousy, and envy.

Despite opposition, obstacles, and encounters with the forces of Satan, the image of the Son of God exalts His authority by continuing to heal the sick and disabled of those who came to Him for healing.

He was upset at the hardness of human hearts. With anger, He looked deep into their hearts and subdued Satan within them with His determination to protect justice and defend the Truth of Love.

Through the image of Jesus healing on the Sabbath, He also calls His children: when collaborating in God's plan of salvation, we should look up to and imitate Jesus's examples:

-Be courageous to live and bear witness to God's love, and continue to cooperate with God to help humanity escape from Satan's captivity.

-Be faithful to God; follow the example of Jesus dying on the cross, to die with Him, to bring our fellow brothers and sisters to Him.

-Be courageous in proclaiming and testifying for God, so those who hate and oppose God's love will have to submit; that opposition, God said, is Satan himself, who stalks the work of God the Father every second, every minute, attacking His children, attacking the work of the Holy Trinity in today's era.

Thanks be to God. Amen.